Paul Breitner

He is married to Hildegard Breitner with who he has three grown-up children. He is also a proud grandfather who completely dotes on his grandchildren.

Paul Breitner was born on 5 September 1951 in Kolbermoor, Bavaria, West Germany. From a young age he was encouraged to be independent minded by his parents. He was taught never to obey authority just for the sake of it, a lesson he would always hold close to his heart.

He grew up to be a tall, strong, and athletic boy with a keen interest in sports. He became a skilled footballer by the time he was in his teens, especially proficient as a striker.

He was selected into the West Germany Under-18 side as a 17-year-old, marking the beginning of his sporting career. He scored one goal on his debut, a 4-1 defeat to Yugoslavia.

He joined the Bayern Munich club in 1970. But soon after, he received a draft notice from the army. He tried to escape the drafting though eventually he had to serve in the army for a short while.

By 1971 he was able to establish himself as a popular player for Bayern. He achieved his first big success in 1972 when he was a part of the German team that won the European Championship.

In 1974, a bigger achievement awaited him—he scored the first German goal on a penalty kick against the Netherlands in the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup—and helped his team emerge victorious.

By this time he had become a great football star in Germany and was receiving contract offers from other clubs as well. Following the World Cup he left the West German squad and moved to Real Madrid.

Paul Breitner was named to the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team in 1974.

In 1981, he was named Footballer of the Year in Germany.

He was also named to the FIFA World Cup All-Time Team.